Page 67 of His White Moonlight (Dominant CEO Shifter Romance #1)

I leaned against Bennett’s closed office door, holding the knob just in case.

Miranda’s eyes went wide as he thudded against the other side, making the door—and me—shake.

“This soundproofing is really good,” I said. “I can’t even hear the noise he’s making.” The door vibrated against my back again.

“What did you do?” she asked.

Mom came around the corner just then. Her gaze swept over us, lingering on the shaking door for a second.

“Is everything all right?”

“Depends on how sturdy this door is,” I said.

“What happened?”

I hesitated, debating what to say. The door gave an aggressive lurch.

“The truth, Wrenly. So I can help.”

“I told him I wasn’t wearing any underwear,” I mumbled, my face flushing.

Miranda fell out of her chair, laughing so hard that she was wheezing.

“Ah,” was all that Mom said. “It’s best if you make yourself scarce until lunch. Are you still all right with going out? We can change locations from what I suggested to Bennett.”

That her gaze didn’t even flicker to my clothes when she said that was a testament to Mom’s poise.

“I have a change of clothes, but they're in the office…with Bennett.”

“No problem. I’ll get them for you once you’re gone. Why don’t you pick Miranda up and take her with you?”

I nodded and hurried over to grab Miranda’s arm.

“Get off the floor so we can go to Zellon’s,” I said.

She sprang up like she’d been equipped with a pogo stick. I rolled my eyes at her weeping ones.

“Your mascara looks like it belongs on a hooker.”

“What do they charge these days? Is ‘no panties to work’ extra?”

I shot her a look as I towed her away from the office, and she waited until we were out on the sidewalk to say anything else.

“Am I going to get the full story now? Why did you tell him you had open access under those shorts, and why was he calling me at dawn, asking me to check on you?”

“We made out last night.”

“Remind me again how that advances your fight for freedom?”

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em and then beat ‘em?” I said with a shrug.

She stopped walking, all humor leaving her expression.

“You’re going to mate him and reject him?”

“Only if he makes that move. I told him I was done fighting him but that, if he mates me, even if I’m willing in the heat of the moment, once the deed is done, I will reject him. He knows his options. I laid it all out for him.”

“I bet you did, Miss No Knickers.”

“This is a bigger test for him to keep his word. He promised he wouldn’t mate with me. If he can keep that promise, no matter what I do or say, then I believe he’ll keep his promise about other things. And maybe…” I shrugged, and she slowly smiled.

“He’s winning you over, isn't he?”

I sighed. “Maybe. Now, what are we going to do for the next hour that it’ll take him to calm down?”

“Shop, of course. It’s your penance.”

I groaned all the way to the ride share she ordered for us, but my mood improved when we walked through Zellon’s doors and got snooty looks from the two women who were sitting at a consultation table with a jeweler.

One of the women’s phones started to ring before they could say anything to us.

Miranda pulled me over to the necklace that went with her earrings.

“Mommy, mommy, if I win on Saturday, will you buy this?” Miranda begged with a grin.

“If you have to fight at all, I’ll tell Mom and Dad to get it for you, but I doubt you will.”

“What? Why?”

“Don’t pick it up,” a woman behind us said.

At first, I thought she was talking to Miranda, which was dumb of her since the necklace was in a locked glass case.

“You know what she wants,” the woman continued.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw the woman with the phone in her hand sigh and answer the call on speaker. Rude, but I also sensed some brewing drama.

“Chloe, I need a favor,” a familiar voice said. “Daddy froze my cards, and I need a loan for a few days.”

“Sorry, Lindi. Daddy froze my card, too, after last week’s party. It’s going to be at least a month before I’m back in his good graces.”

“I understand.”

The tension in Lindi’s response had me grinning along with Chloe.

“I hope we can meet up for lunch soon,” Chloe said before hanging up and handing her card to the consultant. “I’ll take the bracelet.”

“Wait, is that the Lindi?” Miranda asked softly.

Turning away from the pair to study the necklace in the case, I nodded.

“But did her parents actually kick her out, or was that an act?” I wondered quietly.

“How could it be an act? We didn’t even know we would be here today.”

She wasn’t wrong, but I had years of reasons to suspect lies from Lindi.

A sales associate approached us. While she spoke with Miranda about the necklace, I watched the woman who’d spoken to Lindi. She didn’t glance at us as the jeweler wrapped her purchase.

Going to my phone, I went to check Lindi’s profile. I wasn’t expecting her to announce her disownment or anything like that, but I was curious if there would be a hint. She hadn’t updated her profile for three days. That was a hint enough for me to text Bennett.

Me: Are you human again?

Bennett: Yes. If you want to buy something, you can put it on the store tab. I just called to confirm it.

Me: Thanks, but I just overheard a call and am more interested in finding out if the Shanes really disowned Lindi like it sounded.

Bennett: They called Monday to say they had. I told them they needed to make it public. There hasn't been any news yet.

Me: k. Thanks.

Bennett: Will you be coming back soon?

Me: Are you asking because I’m in public with no underwear and you’re worried I’ll talk to the opposite sex?

Bennett: No, I’m asking because I miss you. And I really like being near you when you’re not wearing any underwear.

I flushed, thinking of last night.

“Let me guess…Bennett?” Miranda asked.

I looked up and found her watching me with a smirk.

“Yeah. I’m asking him to confirm what we heard. Why?”

“You smell like lust.” She sighed. “He’s probably going to shift again the second he sees you. Let’s go.”

We left the store and made it back to the office in thirty minutes. When I got out of the car, I spotted Bennett through the main lobby doors, waiting for us, proof that he’d been tracking me.

“He doesn’t look much calmer,” Miranda said, seeing what I was seeing.

His hands were fisted in his pockets, and he was radiating barely checked irritation, which everyone was picking up on since they were giving him a wide berth.

Why did seeing him like that make me giddy and desperate to see how far I could push him before he snapped?

“You have it so bad for him,” she said. “Are you sure giving in would be the end of the world like you think?”

I met her gaze and smiled slightly. Then, without answering her, I met the gaze of a random guy on the street and smiled.

“Excuse me, do you have the time?”

He paused, glancing at his expensive watch. “Eleven-thirty-six.”

“Thanks. I’m Wrenly.” I held out my hand.

He seemed a little confused but shook my hand. The doors opened behind him. I didn’t look at Bennett but maintained eye contact with the man who was still holding my hand.

“And you are?”

“Landel Marchel. Are you hitting on me?”

“Wrenly.” That was it from Bennett, one word spoken with enough volume that my human ears could hear it.

“No, just trying to meet people,” I said, ignoring the warning. “I work in administration at Wulf Enterprises. It was nice meeting you, Landel.”

“You too, Wrenly,” he said, letting go of my hand. “If you’re ever interested in a custom piece of jewelry, give me a call. I might be able to help you out.”

He handed over a business card from his pocket and walked away after a brief nod.

“He was good-looking,” I said, glancing at the card. “I think you’d like him, Miranda.” I held up the card that had the Zellon’s logo on it.

“No way. Shit. I should have said something.” She stole the card from me. “Do you think that was the designer himself? He didn’t look old enough, though, did he?”

She was staring after the guy’s retreating back, and I could see her debating whether or not to run after him.

“We have his card. It’s better to wait and call later than to show how desperate you are now.”

I glanced at Bennett as I said the last part, and he frowned at me.

“Stop drooling,” I said, focusing on Miranda again. “It’s almost lunchtime, and I still need to change. And you need to actually work.”

“Pfft. Shows what you know. I have an unlimited shop-with-Wrenly day pass thanks to tall, dark, and scowling by the door.”

I snorted a laugh and grinned at Bennett. Some of his tension melted away as I watched.

“Ah, the lovestruck mate look. I can’t decide if I want one myself or want to wait now.”

“What? Why would you want to wait? I thought getting a mate was the end-all be-all.”

“It’s supposed to be, but meeting you changed my mind.”

“Because I’m difficult?”

“No, because if I had a mate, I’d be more focused on him and less focused on shopping with you.”

“A travesty.”

“Are we going to keep standing here, torturing him, or are you going to give him the pity hug he wants?” she asked.

“Neither.”

I walked toward him, let him open the door for me, but otherwise ignored his presence until we were in his office and the door was closed.

“That’s going to take some serious repair work,” I said, pointing toward the back of the door.

“Mom is already ordering a new one.” He didn’t pin me to the wall or move toward me like I’d thought he would. He kept his hands in his pockets.

“Was waiting for you crossing a line?” he asked, surprising me.

“No.”

“Was going outside crossing a line?”

I slowly shook my head, wondering where this was going.

“If I had interrupted your talk with Landel, would that have crossed a line?” He started shaking when he said “Landel.”

“Yes.”

His face twitched a little. “Do I get any reward for staying away?”

I fought not to smile but knew he smelled my amusement when he relaxed a little.

“Go sit in your chair.”